and delurking! i very rarely post here, but i always enjoy everything you guys have to say!

so, here's the thing. i am starting up a small publishing company with a friend of mine and we are looking for writers for our first book, which will be a collection of essays based on the idea of successfully living outside the norms of society. if you are interested in writing for the book or just want more information, or have an idea for a book that needs to be published, email me at xingupublications@hotmail.com...

I write quite frequently. I stopped wanting to do it profesionally after a 4ft. tall english professor told me a write like a journalist. Not too surprising, since I did edit for a while for college newspaper but it still was discouraging. Anyway, if you are serious...and not looking to con me into one of those "write a book and pay $50 for the one and only copy of it you'll ever see" you can e-mail me at redhead@happyhippie.com and I can tell you all about living outside of the norm, and dealing with the reaction from the public.
I also write poetry, stopped that for a while too but still have my manscript it a box down my basement.

i'm definitely serious! i'll send you an email straightaway... we are trying to start a publishing co, somewhere along the lines of AK Press or Softskull... and we thought this would be a manageable first project, since even though we both currently work for a publisher, we've never done anything like this on our own...thanks for your interest!!

You should try posting on mediabistro.com, which is a great resource for media type people (especially freelancers). They can definitely be spitfire on there, but I expect that you'd get a lot of people who would love to write for you!

oh, thank you for the tip! i've had some trouble finding suitable places to post about this, but i think that will work! thanks!!

Um... OK. I've been staring at your link for a while and finally come up with the guts to reply. I could write for you, if you want, but I'm only 11. Maybe I could do a thing about primary school or something?
How long would it have to be and what sort of things would you have to write?(i've never done a essay) Also, i might not be able to write it really soon cos in about a week or two i'm leaving for sydney. i can try to write it before i leave though, if you want.
you can email me on- princessclare@ourbrisbane.com
P.S- don't worry, my spelling and punctuation are better then this, I just write messy on the computer.

i'm not a writer, but a designer with quite a bit of print experience. i'd be very interested if you were ever in need of a graphic designer/illustrator :)

- laura

I'm a writer. Or at least I'm sort of trying to be one. I am definitely interested, but I'm not sure how "outside the norm of society" my life is. What exactly are you looking for?

My email is starrie8@excite.com by the way.

I'm an aspiring writer, too, but like princessclare, am a young'un (I'm soontobe 18). I'm also not sure how outside the norm my life is, but would love to be involved. My email is RTSugar@comcast.net

Count me in, definately! I really want to be involved. I'm also pretty young (15 on the 31st of december), but I like to write and want to make it a career (if I'm not too lazy). How exactly outside the norm does my life have to be? I've always wanted to live my live the whole non-conformist punk rock way, but I've realized that shaving my head doesn't necessarily make me a non-conformist.. oops, babbling again.. anyway, e-mail me at happiness_is_a_pretzel@yahoo.com - I'd love to know the details!

I'm a writer. Slightly older but not by much (I'm 21).

e-mail: jsherry@jdweb.com

wow,that sounds like fun! im a 20 year old actress (no movies,big ones atleast...yet). i'm also currently working on my own novel right now.
you can email me at amber@girlonstage.com

I'd also be interested. I'm 15 as well, but would love to contribute if you're interested. My email is emehareeyeohen@yahoo.com.
Could the number of us young'uns interested in writing possibly become a separate project with either the same topic or a different one?

I'm interested as well! Aspiring writer/English major here, but I haven't done anything "professional." I'm usually happy enough to bitch to my journal, but I may be able to conjure something up. And I'm great with design and ideas, as well! I can always come up with great things to write about, I just can't always write them. Does that make sense? Oh geez, well, now that everyone has had a sneak peak into my hopelessly neurotic life...
faerie_eyez_33@yahoo.com
Also, can you give us a little more detail as to what we'll be writing about so we can start brainstorming?

First of all, thank you for showing interest in our project! I didn't expect nearly so many responses to this post!! We hope that through people like you, we can grow Group Xingu into something everyone involved can be proud of.
Our first project is a book of non-fiction essays, all written by people who have achieved success through unconventional means. Or who live their lives outside the perceived norm. If you’ve dropped out of school to pursue alternative forms of education, we want to hear from you. If you’ve started a record label, a clothing line or a crafty business, we want your story. If you book shows, organize protests, run a distro, live in a squat or commune, we want your story. If you organize local politics, guerilla garden, run a non-profit, we want your story. If you live your life in such a way that rails against consumerism, waste, the destruction of our environment, we want to hear from you.
We are looking for experiences that will inspire and encourage others to expand their boundaries; to consider living a life different than the one they feel is laid out for them. People need to know they can effect change in their lives and the world around them. And we want you to teach them.
We are currently accepting submissions for the book- so if you’ve got something to say, even if it is not one of the examples listed above, please consider submitting your idea. We are looking for rough drafts and essay outlines at first, nothing needs to be concrete or set in stone at this point. Just get your ideas out into the world. We definitely want to hear from all of you, so please don't hesitate to get in touch...
For more information, or to submit your proposal, email us at derail@groupxingu.com or xingupublications@hotmail.com

*bumpity bump*

just wanted to make sure everyone who was interested got a chance to see the latest bit of news there....

-megan

Thanks for the bump... I almost missed this!

I, too would be interested in submitting an essay. I haven't written much in a professional sense, but could drum up some life experiences living outside of the norm... what kind of proposals would you like to see? As I don't have much experience writing professionally - I don't really know what a proposal should look like. Thanks for the public offer! This really sounds like a lot of fun and ultimately an interesting read!
-Nicole, myfunkyutopia(at)yahoo(dot)com

I don't know how out of the norm I live. I mean, I try to be non-conformist, but I'm not nonconsumerish in the way that I don't shop at the mega stores (hey, cheap clothes, okay?), and although I'm politically aware, I'm not an activist.
I suppose I live just in and out of the norm enough to be different, but not too noticeable..
Anyway, I would love to know whether I might have something you are looking for. I'm 19, an English/Secondary Education/Creative Writing major (hey, ambitious much?), and I'm actually working on compiling my poetry from the past few years to see how much longer it will take me to get up to book volume (I think I'm at pamphlet right now...).
Anyhow, cloudbreakchick@hotmail.com :)